Dhaka Subway - Ministry asked to go ahead with proposal

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The Private Infrastructure Committee (PICOM) yesterday enlisted a proposal for constructing a metro rail system in Dhaka city on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.
The meeting also asked the Ministry of Communications to go ahead with the proposal for an international bidding after final approval. Principal secretary to the prime minister’s office Kamal Uddin Siddiqui chaired the meeting, which also enlisted another proposal for constructing a multipurpose complex by Rajuk at Karwan Bazar near Hotel Sonargaon, according to sources. Rajuk was also asked to conduct a detailed study on the project before its kick-off.

The proposal for constructing the subway in the capital would now go to the cabinet committee for economic affairs (CCEA) for final approval. After the CCEA approval, an official gazette would be published in this regard.

After that a contractual agreement would be signed between the government and the implementing agencies, according to the rules.

The PICOM has also asked the communications ministry to conduct a feasibility study on constructing subway in Dhaka. The feasibility study is necessary for details planning of relocation of utility services which would be affected by the project, according to sources. The ministry had sent a proposal to the planning commission for feasibility study on subway seeking Tk 7 crore. But the planning commission did not respond to the proposal.

Earlier, Contech Limited, a local firm pre-qualified in the technical evaluation for constructing the subway. The firm has proposed to construct a 52-kilometre long underground rail system in Dhaka spending Tk 5,200 crore with financial assistance from the Japan Bank of International Co-operation (JBIC).

Asked what would be the fate of Contech which pre-qualified earlier, a high official of the Board of Investment (BoI) who was present in the meeting told The Daily Star that the company would remain as pre-qualified and it would also be able to participate in the international bidding. When asked how much time it would take to start physical construction, he said it is a mega project and the government does not want to hurry in implementing it.

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